RESOLUTION OF SYSTEM DESIGN PROBLEMS INTO SYSTEM COMPONENT DESIGN SUBPROBLEMS.

Abstract

In the design of large-scale systems the problem is often too large to be approached by a single group. Then the system design problem must be resolved into component subproblems with different groups assigned to work on each subproblem. A. Wayne Wymore's "Tricotyledon Theory of Systems Design" (T3SD) provides a general system theoretic framework for the statement of large-scale system design problems. In this paper some results are developed for the extension of T3SD to the problem of the resolution of system design problems into system component design problems. Initially resolutions with respect to I/O specifications and technologies are defined and examined. Following this, resolutions with respect to merit orderings in which the merit orderings on the component problems have a specified relation with the merit orderings on the original problem are discussed. Ideal, strong and perfect resolutions with respect to merit orderings are defined and relationships among these types of resolutions are discussed. It is shown that trivial strong and ideal resolutions can always be developed from simple resolutions. Perfect resolutions are always ideal resolutions and ideal resolutions are always strong resolutions. Finally it is shown that given a class of simple resolutions there always exists a maximal ideal resolution for that class.